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Juno Schwarz

Power To Live: taking care-experienced mental health seriously

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The collaboration between Drive Forward and Power to Live Foundations has made a positive impact on the lives of care-experienced youth. With shared values and a focus on mental health, over 20 young individuals have received behavioral psychotherapy sessions. Power to Live emphasizes behavioral change, helping clients detach from negative thoughts and move towards a value-driven life. Trust and therapeutic relationships are key, especially when working with youth who have experienced attachment trauma. Despite the challenges, the experience is immensely rewarding, as therapists witness the courage and resilience of their clients. This collaboration has not only helped the youth, but also allowed therapists to grow and connect on a deep level.

Join our team

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We are looking for an experienced Employment Consultant with an extensive knowledge of working with care-experienced young people (16-24) to guide and support young people in their professional development to help them reach their full potential.

The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate a real passion for making a difference to the lives of our clients. They will possess the ability to build trusting relationships quickly, to broaden horizons, and encourage young people to be aspirational. They will have previous experience of designing and delivering employment based group activities and will be experts in working on a 1-2-1 basis with a diverse client group.

They will be adept at a wide range of career engagement activity and able to skilfully communicate the benefits of each career to their clients. This role will also require resilience, a belief that there is always a way forward and an innovative approach to youth engagement.

Network & Nourish

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For many young people – and in fact many of us – the prospect of dressing up smartly and stepping into a room with professionals, is uncomfortable at best and anxiety inducing at worst.

Eager to help young people take the edge off networking, our partners at BIE Executive designed an innovative and unique event. Network & Nourish aims at demystifying the world of networking and exposing the person behind the job title, they brought a variety of business leaders, high-level professionals, and young people together. 

Our response to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care 

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“I thank Josh and his team for the opportunity to engage. I sincerely hope that the Government will respond boldly and implement the recommendations and action plan in this report. By doing so it will help reduce suffering and improve the life chances of the most vulnerable children and families.” Jordan Morgan, Trustee of Drive …

Our response to the Independent Review of Children’s Social Care  Read More »

Drive Forward calls for urgent government action on mental health

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Drive Forward is calling on the Government to take urgent action to tackle the unacceptably high levels of mental health disorders among young people leaving the care system.

In a submission to the Government’s Independent Review into Children’s Social Care, we are calling for there to be at least one NHS-funded mental health practitioner in every local authority in England to provide bespoke support to care leavers.

Young people of colour in care

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I’d say from around year 3 (8 years old) I could remember strange grown-ups coming round to my house and agitating my mum and dad. I can remember having briefings with my parents on what I could and couldn’t say to these strangers and the knowledge that if I failed in these duties that I would likely be taken away from my parents with my siblings, and that we would be separated after that to live with different people. I can remember a big argument one of these strangers had with my dad that culminated in two security guards accompanying that particular stranger on all subsequent visits. This stranger was one that had become a somewhat permanent fixture in my young life, and I remember being interviewed by her in a separate room and telling her very little about what was actually going on and anything I did say was positive. It was ‘Us’ against ‘them’.

World Refugee Day: the challenges facing unaccompanied minors

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The 20th of June is the UN World’s Refugee Day. On this occasion, I would like to share a few insights and experiences I gained from supporting our young people with experience of foster and/or residential care in London.

If you know DFF, you also know that our mission is to support young care-experienced people into sustainable employment and to help them realize their full potential. And you might also know that each young person has a different story, different challenges and different strengths. Every day I learn something new from working with these wonderful talented young people and I am often amazed by how resilient and strong many of them are. What inspires me in particular, is to see the ambition and the drive of those young people that came to the UK as unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UCAS). These are young people who are seeking asylum in the UK but who have been separated from their parents or carers. While their claim is processed, they are cared for by a local authority.

Ready. Steady. Go. Introducing our London Marathon Runner 2021

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2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the world-famous London Marathon and for the first time in Drive Forward’s history there will be a participant bearing our logo!
Andy Hearne, who works with our partners at The Crown Estate, has taken up the challenge of running the 26.219 miles around the River Thames on 3 October this year. Wanting to find out more about Andy’s motivations, his training, and why he believes that supporting care-experienced young people into fulfilling careers, we’ve asked him some questions.

We’re here to make a difference in the lives of young care leavers. Wherever they’re coming from, we’re on a mission to help open doors and give them the skills, confidence and inspiration to make some momentum and realise their full potential.

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Drive Forward Foundation
14-15 Lower Marsh
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SE1 7RJ
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Tel: 0207 620 3000

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